Warwick Valley Humane Society sees relationship between animal cruelty and violent behavior

WARWICK — You may not have heard about this but Feb. 20th was “National Love Your Pet Day.”
According to the Day Calendar that keeps tabs on these events, this unofficial national holiday was a day set aside to give extra attention to your pets and to focus on the special relationship that you have with them.
But almost everyone today knows Nikolas Cruz recently confessed to killing 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County, Florida.
It was a horrific mass shooting followed by heavy media coverage of the tragic event and the ongoing discussions about steps to prevent any similar tragedy in the future.
But one contributing issue received less coverage.
In addition to the warning signs of the shooters reported bullying, isolation, loss of parents, school expulsion, outbursts and other violence, there was also a history of hurting animals.
According to several reports, Cruz, at an early age, shot his neighbor’s chickens and boasted about killing other animals, not as an ordinary licensed hunter might do in the proper season but just to cause them harm.
Suzyn Barron, president of the Warwick Valley Humane Society, points out that animal cruelty is on the rise in New York State and that is a problem that she and her animal control officers deal with every day.
She also believes, as do some criminologists and psychiatrists, that in some cases animal cruelty is a possible predictor of future violence.
A frequent factor in the history of the lives of people who commit domestic violence, for example, has been mutilating animals for fun.
The Warwick Valley Humane Society responds to many cases of animal cruelty or neglect.
In one case they responded to a call from a young man who had discovered a wounded goose on County Road 1A.
“It wasn't regular bird hunting season when this occurred,” said Barron. “But we could see that he was literally shot out of the sky due to the damage on his beak. It was an awful sight and I cannot imagine the pain and shock this bird was in.”
The goose was taken to Flannery Animal Hospital for wildlife rehabilitator, Missy Runyan of Friends of the Feathered and Furry, but his chest was full of blood and buckshot and he had to be euthanized.
Severe animal neglect can also cause incredible pain and suffering to an animal.
Examples are starvation, dehydration, parasite infestations, allowing a collar to grow into an animal's skin, inadequate shelter in extreme weather conditions, and failure to seek veterinary care when an animal needs medical attention.
“We need the public to be our eyes and ears,” said Barron. “Please report any and all suspected neglect or abuse to our confidential cruelty telephone number at 845-987-7336.”
- Roger Gavan